IAPE@Work: November 2019 - Two Important Ballots

/

2019 Contract Ratification

Members in NY on T-shirt Tuesday - October 29, 2019

Members in NY on T-shirt Tuesday - October 29, 2019

The bargaining committee and the board have both approved a tentative agreement for a new contract with Dow Jones and now it’s your time to decide. The majority of our nearly 1,300 members will have the opportunity to vote yes or no on this agreement before it goes into effect. The board and committee think this represents the best deal possible from Dow Jones and encourage you to vote “yes.”  If you vote yes, the contract goes into effect; if you vote no, the bargaining committee will have to go back to the table.

Important Ratification Dates: 

  • Ballots sent out to members’ Dow Jones email: November 11, 2019

  • Ballots due back: November 17, 2019 by 12:00 p.m. ET

  • Results announcement: November 18, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. ET

Please check out the newly created Contract Summary & FAQ on our website for more information. The document also includes details on the ratification vote, times for Q&A meetings as well as links to the full Memorandum of Agreement and the Notice of the Ratification Vote. All three of these documents can now be found at www.iape1096.org under “Ratification 2019”. 

The NewsGuild 2019 Presidential Elections

You should have received a white envelope reading “Rerun Election for President of the Newsguild-CWA.” The NewsGuild, the parent union of IAPE, is re-running an election held earlier this year between incumbent Bernie Lunzer and challenger Jon Schleuss. Ballots arrived to most folks throughout the weeks of October 21 & 28. 

Here are some instructions on how to vote:

  • Contained in the envelope is a ballot, which you will find at the bottom section of the long blue sheet and reads “Official Ballot.” 

  • You can separate the ballot from the rest of the sheet, check the name of your desired candidate and place the ballot in the envelope labeled “Secret Ballot.”

  • Take the “Secret Ballot” envelope and place it in the blue pre-addressed envelope provided. 

  • Seal the blue envelope and SIGN THE BACK where the signature line appears. No postage is necessary to mail the ballot.

Votes will be tallied on Tuesday, December 10.

If you have any questions, or if you may have received a ballot and mistakenly thrown it away, please contact the IAPE Elections Committee at IAPE.Election-Committee@iape1096.org. And you can visit our election page for more information about eligibility and for background on the race and the candidates. 

IAPE@Work: October 2019 - IAPE Directors Meet to Discuss Budget, Bargaining

/
IAPE directors at the NewsGuild of New York headquarters in Times square, sept. 28, 2019.

IAPE directors at the NewsGuild of New York headquarters in Times square, sept. 28, 2019.

 Your dues money keeps IAPE running and, importantly, has helped the bargaining committee take a strong stance in negotiations with the company this year. Over the last weekend of September, your board of directors approved a new budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair Joe Walker, a health care reporter in New York, and IAPE leadership have worked hard to cut costs where possible. IAPE will be moving operations to a new office in Princeton at the end of this year, expected to save several thousands of dollars a year. We will continue to look at our fixed expenses, including our overhead, so we can keep investing in our membership and our contract.

IAPE in the last fiscal year received approval for a grant from The NewsGuild for our bargaining campaign which has covered the cost of our new IAPE swag and included generous support to allow us to hire Mobilizing Director Stefanie Frey.

Bargaining was also at the top of the agenda for our directors, and we discussed strategy in light of the company’s disappointing offer for 2% raises last week.

We don’t think a status quo raise that our members have swallowed for eight years is acceptable this time around, and it’s clear from the responses we have gotten from members on sacrifices they have made because of low wage increases that 2% isn’t acceptable to you either.  

The bargaining committee is using this week to formulate our response to the company’s latest proposal, which we will present to Dow Jones representatives when we are back at the table next week.

We need you to keep showing your support for the bargaining committee so we can secure the contract our members deserve. Stay tuned for events and in-person updates in your location.

A Reminder on NewsGuild Elections

IAPE’s parent union, The NewsGuild International, is holding a re-run for its election for president. Incumbent Bernie Lunzer will again face challenger Jon Schleuss of the Los Angeles Times.

IAPE members eligible to vote in the election will soon start receiving ballots to their home addresses and votes will be counted in New York December 9. Visit our election page for more information and background on the race and the candidates. Reach out to IAPE’s election committee if you have questions about you eligibility status, voting or the election.